LIGHTS OUT LOUISVILLE
LIGHT POLLUTION KILLS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MIGRATING BIRDS IN
THE USA EACH YEAR, BUT YOU CAN HELP PREVENT THAT.
Learn more at our dedicated website: www.lightsoutlouisville.org
LIGHT POLLUTION KILLS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MIGRATING BIRDS IN
THE USA EACH YEAR, BUT YOU CAN HELP PREVENT THAT.
Learn more at our dedicated website: www.lightsoutlouisville.org
A small portion of the thousands of birds that died colliding with buildings in downtown Philadelphia on
October 2, 2020. Photo: Courtesy of Stephen Maciejewski
THE PROBLEM
Every year, billions of birds fly between wintering and breeding grounds, migrating north in the spring and south in the fall, while facing innumerable threats along the way. Most birds fly at night, navigating by the stars and moon. However, as they pass over big cities, they can become disoriented by bright artificial lights and skyglow often causing them to collide with buildings or windows. Lights not only throw birds off their migration paths but result in more fatalities after disoriented and fatigued birds, circling until dawn, land and are then subject to other urban threats. This issue impacts hundreds of North American species.
WHAT IS LIGHTS OUT?
Lights Out is a national effort led by the Audubon Society to help migrating birds by working with building owners, managers,
and residents to voluntarily turn off unnecessary lights during periods when lights are most likely to affect migrating or nocturnal
birds – specifically between March-May in the spring and August-October in the fall.
HOW CAN YOU HELP MIGRATING BIRDS?
Did you know that an estimated 3,765,000 birds migrated over Jefferson County, Kentucky on the night after Derby last year
(from 8:40 p.m. May 6 to ~6:00 a.m. May 7, 2023). That’s just one day in the spring migration season!
https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-KY-111?night=2023-05-06
Every year, billions of birds fly between wintering and breeding grounds, migrating north in the spring and south in the fall, while facing innumerable threats along the way. Most birds fly at night, navigating by the stars and moon. However, as they pass over big cities, they can become disoriented by bright artificial lights and skyglow often causing them to collide with buildings or windows. Lights not only throw birds off their migration paths but result in more fatalities after disoriented and fatigued birds, circling until dawn, land and are then subject to other urban threats. This issue impacts hundreds of North American species.
WHAT IS LIGHTS OUT?
Lights Out is a national effort led by the Audubon Society to help migrating birds by working with building owners, managers,
and residents to voluntarily turn off unnecessary lights during periods when lights are most likely to affect migrating or nocturnal
birds – specifically between March-May in the spring and August-October in the fall.
HOW CAN YOU HELP MIGRATING BIRDS?
Did you know that an estimated 3,765,000 birds migrated over Jefferson County, Kentucky on the night after Derby last year
(from 8:40 p.m. May 6 to ~6:00 a.m. May 7, 2023). That’s just one day in the spring migration season!
https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-KY-111?night=2023-05-06
We ask that from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.:
- Turn off all unnecessary lights indoors and outdoors. If you need lights on inside, use window
shades or drapes to prevent “light glow” outside. - For outdoor lights, use motion detectors so lights turn on only when needed.
- Shield lights on the top so light shines down where we actually need it and not up into the sky,
where we do not.
DOING THIS IS A WIN-WIN STRATEGY. WHY?
Not only can we minimize unnecessary bird deaths, we can also save money by reducing energy use! The EPA has found that in the Louisville area lighting constitutes about 34% of office building energy use. Turning off unnecessary lights for 7 hours at night makes fiscal sense and also helps migrating birds greatly!
PLEASE HELP LOUISVILLE AUDUBON SOCIETY implement this simple strategy so our city can provide birds safe passage between their nesting and wintering grounds twice a year. Then we can join 49 cities nationwide participating in this Lights Out Campaign (Including Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, and Nashville, TN) and reduce the staggering number of bird deaths a year caused by light pollution.
Not only can we minimize unnecessary bird deaths, we can also save money by reducing energy use! The EPA has found that in the Louisville area lighting constitutes about 34% of office building energy use. Turning off unnecessary lights for 7 hours at night makes fiscal sense and also helps migrating birds greatly!
PLEASE HELP LOUISVILLE AUDUBON SOCIETY implement this simple strategy so our city can provide birds safe passage between their nesting and wintering grounds twice a year. Then we can join 49 cities nationwide participating in this Lights Out Campaign (Including Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, and Nashville, TN) and reduce the staggering number of bird deaths a year caused by light pollution.
KET's Kentucky Edition
Season 2 Episode 231, April 18, 2024
Interview with Louisville Audubon Society about "Lights Out Louisville":
https://ket.org/program/kentucky-edition/april-18-2024-8gtp30/ (story starts at 19:56 of show)
Season 2 Episode 231, April 18, 2024
Interview with Louisville Audubon Society about "Lights Out Louisville":
https://ket.org/program/kentucky-edition/april-18-2024-8gtp30/ (story starts at 19:56 of show)
For more information visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z22b_s8ycb0
https://birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/
(start their video at 2 min. 50 secs to compare BEFORE AND AFTER Lights Out
in Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Texas.)
www.audubon.org/our-work/cities-and-towns/lights-out
https://www.audubon.org/our-work/cities-and-towns/lights-out/existing-lights-out-programs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z22b_s8ycb0
https://birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/
(start their video at 2 min. 50 secs to compare BEFORE AND AFTER Lights Out
in Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Texas.)
www.audubon.org/our-work/cities-and-towns/lights-out
https://www.audubon.org/our-work/cities-and-towns/lights-out/existing-lights-out-programs
Derby Day 2023: See how many birds flew over the U.S., especially Kentucky!
From: https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/
In Fall, birds migrate south to wintering grounds in Mexico, Central and
South America. Look how many flew on one night alone!
From: https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/live-migration-maps/
